Vacuum type food container



April 1, 1952 J. P. HANSEN ET AL 2,591,151

VACUUM TYPE FOOD CONTAINER Filed April 26, 1949 Fig. 32 r 20 5 ,2 Fig.2. 37 I3 I I1 ueutam James P. Hansen Francis A Wilma! WWW mg,

i 'atented Apr. 1, 1952 VACUUM TYPE FOOD CONTAINER James P. Hansen andFrancis A. Wilmot, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 26, 1949, Serial No. 89,7 l6

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements invacuum-type food containers which are adapted to be inserted and carriedin so-called conventional lunch kits and has reference in particular toa style of container which is expressly, but not necessarily, adapted toreceive and preserve non-liquid food, such as meat and vegetables,either hot or cold, for palatable consumption.

Needlessto say, and as the introductory statement of the invention setsforth, we are aware that food containers in this category and characterized by double-walled receptacles and closing lids therefor are notbroadly new It follows, therefore, that our primary objective is toprovide a more efficient and aptly suitable container construction inwhich users will find their needs fully met, contained and convenientlyavailable.

More specifically, novelty has to do, on the one hand; with a practicalcasing and cover assembly of stainless steel or equivalent protectivematerial which provides an efficient and adaptable protective enclosurefor the fragile doublewalled glass container and lid units, whereby theysatisfactorily withstand indiscreet handling by all sorts of users.

An equally important object is to provide gaskets, one for the lid inthe cover and one between the container and its casing, said gasketseffectively coacting with each other and other parts to effect areliable seal between the container and lid. 1

Still another object of the invention is to provide. inconjunction withthe novel gasket arrangement, a plurality of closure fastening devices.these being of slack take-up form and serving to exert tension on theclosure means and to simultaneously act on the gasket means so thatlatter-functions to effect an acceptable seal 1 functional betterments.which are superior to similar adaptations exhibited in analogous foodcontainers in the same field of endeavor.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

ably on the bottom of the kit 5.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section and partly in elevation,showing a Thermos-type food container constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section taken on the vertical line 22 ofFigure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the handle means.

Referring now to the drawings by distinguishing reference numerals andaccompanying lead lines, the numeral 5 designates what may beconveniently referred to as a lunch kit or box in which our improvedfood container is adapted to be yieldably fitted and held in place asillustrated.

The sheet metal box-like casing, generally rectangular in form, isdenoted by the numeral 6 and embodies a flat bottom 1 and side and endwalls 8 and 9 respectively. As best shown in Figure 2 the upper edgeportions of said walls are formed with a substantially L-shaped rim H]which slidably seats a channel member ll carrying a gasket [2. Thegasket is of the crosssectional shape shown and is centrally provided onits inner surfaces with an endless groove l3 and this groove serves toreceive a correspondingly shaped rib or bead [4 on the upper edges ofthe vertical walls of the double-walled glass food container l5. Thisfood container is open at its top and of a depth slightly less than thedepth of the casing. Thus, we have a vacuumtype container i5 fittingtelescopically into a surrounding metal jacket or casing with areinforced gasket interposed between the coacting walls and with a beadM fitting into a groove in the gasket. This slide-fit arrangement allowsslight vertical shifting of the container I5 in relation to the casing6. On the interior of the bottom I and at longitudinally spaced pointswe provide transversely bowed cushioning springs l6 which are detachablyanchored at opposite ends in lugs ll struck up from the bottom I. On itsexterior the bottom 1 is provided with suitably attached cushioningblocks [8 which rest remov- The exterior sides of the casing 6 are alsoprovided with outwardly bowed fiat springs I9, two to a side, which arein yieldable contact with the kit and which serve to aptly maintain theentire container effectively and against accidental slippage in saidkits, in an obvious mannerhas a channel 25 fashioned therein to seal andseat the marginal edge portions of the fiat doublewalled vacuum lid 21.The gasket is held securely between the shoulder 23 and flange 24 andthe upper wall 28 of the channel 26 overhangs the top wall of the lid2'! as shown in Figure 2. The

lower portion of the gasket is fashioned into what we call a lip seal 29and this in cross-section conforms in shape to the rounded upper edge,portion of the container It. The cover has a suitable shallow depressionor well 39 to accommodate a receding handle 3|. The handle may be of anysuitable type and is preferably constructed as shown and is anchored bylinks 32 hinged at opposite ends of said well. a

The cover retaining, gasket compressing, sealing and fastening devicesof which we provide four (two on each side) are all the same inconstruction and the description of one will suffice for all. The latchlever is denoted by the numeral 33 and one end is adapted to fulcrumagainst an abutment 34 forming part of a bracket 35 which is fastened tothe side wall 8. In order to hold the lever in closed position weprovide a hooked keeper bracket 36 also fastened in place on wall 8, asshown. The numeral 3! designates a link of flexible type having abifurcated lower end with the furcations 38 hinged at 39 to theintermediate portion of the lever 33. The upper headed end of the linkis slidable through an anchoring member Ml mounted on the cover. Thelink 31 and lever 33 take the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2when released and take the positions shown in full lines when the leveris fastened down tohold the cover securely and to compress the'gasket 25and to effect a tight seal between the lid 27 and the container I5.

If desired, the container may be divided into separate compartments. Inthe showingmade a single partition ll illustrates the point to be madehere.

In addition to the above, and if desired, a small pad, Ida, preferablyof asbestos material may be fixed on the crown portion of the cushioningspring [5, in each instance and thusinterposed between said spring andthe double-walled bottom of container 55.

Briefly, it will be understood that a doublewalled vacuum container iscovered by an eniciently lidded cover and that the lever pulled linksfasten down the lid and also bindthe two gaskets I2 and 25 nicely andfirmly together and what with the armoring properties afforded by thestainless steel jacketing means, a highly practical and desirable foodcontainer is, it is submitted, had. 7

It will be evident from the preceding description and drawings that onenovel phase of the invention has to do with the longitudinally spacedtransversely arranged bow-springs It having opposite ends detachablyanchored at I! on the bottom 1 of the casing, these serving as cushionsfor the double-walled vacuum container I and allowing the same to havetele scoping and sliding fit in the casing. These springs serve to allowthe container to recede into the casing and serve to shockproof thefragile, container. Then,. 0

4 the vertical bow-springs [9 act in conjunction with the springs l6,said springs l9 being carried by the exterior sides of the casing wallsfor yieldable association with the corresponding walls of the kit 5.

Novelty is also predicated on the reinforced gasket means l2 which isanchored on and carried by the beaded portions of the container l5wherein the channel member ll constitutes a wear-resisting frame for thegasket means and has direct sliding contact with the offset rim [0 onthe container.

It will be noted, in addition to the above, that the lip 29 of gasketmeans l2 not only rests on the upper edge of the walls of the container['5 but has. direct compressible contact with the gasket means I2.Consequently, when the slack take-up and fastening devices are tightenedto take the full line positions shown in Figure 2, the gaskets arefirmly pressed together.

Changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of details and partsmay be resorted to in actual practice, so long as they do not departfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims, asis well understood.

Having described the inventicn, what is claimed as new is:

1. A Thermos-type food container for use in connection with a lunch kitcomprising a casing embodying bottom, side, and end walls, a vacuumcontainer fitted telescopically into said casing,

binding devices, each device embodying a latchattaching the other end ofsaid link to said closure means, and keeper means fixed on said casingfor latching said lever in a closed position.

2. A Thermos-type food container comprising an open top box-like casinghaving bottom, side and end walls, a correspondinglyshaped open topdouble-walled vacuum container fitted telescopically and slidably intosaid casing and having bot! tom, side and end walls, the upper edgeportions of the side and end walls of said casing having an endlessfiange L -shaped in cross-section defining an adapter rim, an endlesscompressible gasket keyed to and surrounding the upper edge portions ofthe side and end walls of said container and shiftably mounted in saidrim, cushioning springs anchored in the bottom of said casing, thebottom tainer and having compressible contact with said fi -namdgasket.and q ra tgb e f ten rs carried by said cover, anchored on said casingand serving to press said gasket and gasket means firmly together.

3. The structure specified in claim 2', together with a plurality ofvertically disposed bowsprings secured to the exterior surfaces of theside and end walls of said casing and adapted to bear against coastingwalls of an enclosing kit.

4. A vacuum-type food container of the class described comprising anopen top casing having bottom, side and end walls, a correspondinglyshaped open top vacuum container fitted telescopically and slidably intosaid casing and having bottom, side and end walls, the upper edgeportions of the side and end walls of said casing having an endlessfiange L-shaped in cross-section and defining an offset adapter rim, anendless compressible gasket keyed to and surrounding the upper edgeportions of the side and end walls of said container, a channel-shapedgasket Wear resisting and shape-sustaining member partially encasingsaid gasket and slidably and telescopically mounted in said rim,cushioning and shock-absorbing springs interposed between the bottom ofsaid casing and the container, a readily applicable and removable coverfor the open top of said container, said cover having a marginal rimwith an endless inturned gasket anchoring flange, a second endlessgasket located within the confines of said cover and resting partly onand held in place by said anchoring flange, the inner peripheral edgeportion of said second named gasket having a channel-shaped recess, avacuum lid situated within the confines of said cover and having itsouter marginal edge portion fitted and sealed in said recess, the normalbottom side of said second named gasket having a sealing lip dependingbelow the planes of said anchoring flange and bottom of said lid, saidlip resting on the upper edge portion of the side and end Walls of saidcontainer and, in addition, having direct compressible contact with acoacting edge portion of said first named gasket, and slack take-up andfastening devices mounted respectively on the cover and casing, saiddevices, when closed, serving to compress the respective gaskets intobinding contact and serving to compress the aforementioned springs tocause the container to recede into said casing and to firmly seat thefirst named gasket in said rim.

JAMES P. HANSEN. FRANCIS A. WILMOT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,831,663 Hill Nov. 10, 19312,000,780 Miller May 7, 1935 2,026,967 Devine Jan. 7, 1935

